Bait casting device



Dec. 24, 1 940. O W 2,225,719

BAIT CASTING DEVICE Filed April 2'7, 1959 INVENTOR. JOHN C. SHOT TON ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to casting devices for use by fishermen and has forits general object to enable the operations of casting to be performed efliciently and to minimize the liability of the lines and hooks to become fouled by foliage or other obstructions during such operations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which can be utilized efflciently for casting purposes without the necessity for the op erator to undergo the long period of practice and training without which proficiency in the use of the standard casting equipment cannot be acbearing 8 and preferably in close proximity to the quired.

I accomplish the foregoing objects by the use of a device which can be operated similarly to the ordinary pistol, not only for the purpose of casting, but also for the purpose of exerting the desiredbraking eflects upon the reel. The aforesaid device is shown in the drawing hereof wherein Fig. 1 represents a view in elevation of one of the longitudinal halves of a casting device embodying my invention, certain parts associated therewith being shown in section, the said de-v vice being in the semblance of a pistol; Fig. 2 a side elevation on a reduced scale, of the complete casting device; Fig. 3 a detail in section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 a longitudinal sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 2 30 and taken approximately midway between the top and bottom of the pistol barrel; and Fig. 5 a detail in longitudinal section through the bait or lure shown in elevation in Fig. 1.

Describing by reference characters the parts i1- lustrated in the drawing, l denotes the barrel, and 2 the grip of the pistol-like device. The barrel, the grip and the intermediate reel-mounting cheek plates 2 are preferably formed of two symmetrical parts, the line of separation between these parts corresponding toa plane passing longitudinally through the device midway between the sides thereof.

Slidably mounted within the barrel is a plunger comprising a front head 4 and a rear head 5 and provided with a guide bore formed within a tube 6 connecting the said heads; I denotes a coil Gil spring which is interposed between the rear head drum of a reel, the said drum being secured to a shaft II which is rotatably mounted in the side or cheek plates 3. The drum is secured to the shaft II by means of a set screw I2. One end of the shaft II is provided with the usual reel wind- 5 ing handle [3.

l4 denotes a shaft having one end threaded into one of the side members or cheek plates 3 and its opposite end inserted into an opening in the opposite one of said side members or cheek plates 10 and provided with a screw driver slot It. This shaft is located between the reel and the agate latter. It is provided with a pulley l5 having a screw l6 backing up a ball I6 projecting into an 15 endless traversing thread I! on the shaft l4 whereby, as thet pulley is rotated by the friction of the line thereagainst, the pulley will be made to move back and forth along the shaft H for the purpose of distributing the line laterally and evenly upon the reel drum as the line is being wound thereupon and for preventing fouling or kinking of the line when being unwound rapidly from the drum.

The coil spring I constitutes means for ejecting the plunger 4, 5, G and the barrel constitutes a guide for the said plunger.

The opposite sides of the barrel are provided with slots I9 through which project lugs or projections 5 on the rear plunger head 5; and each of these slots is provided at its rear end with a notch is", one of these notches projecting upwardly from one of the slots shown in Fig. 2 and the other projecting downwardly from the other slot as shown in Fig. 4. By pulling rearwardly upon the lugs 5', the spring I may be compressed into the position shown in Fig. 1 and thereupon the head 5 may be given a sufflcient rotary movement to enable the projections 5* to enter the notches l9; thereby to. hold the plunger in its safety position. My device is also provided with a trigger, indicated at 20, which is pivotally supported upon a pin 21 mounted in the opposite side members 2 of the pistol, the trigger being located within the guard 22. The trigger is provided with a forwardly projecting arm 20' which is formed at its front end into a latch member 20" which, when the plunger is in its safety position, is spaced at short distance from the front wall of the plunger head I, being retained in a position to engage the said head. when the lugs 5 shall have been disengaged from the notches Is-, by. means of a spring 22 connected at one end to an arm 20 projecting rearwardly from the pivot 55 At its rear end the arm is provided with a transversely extending channeled seat for.a

brake pad 26 which is adapted to engage the edges of both side members of the reel in order to check or stop the unwinding of the line therefrom.

Beneath the barrel I- there is provided a cylin-- drical sleeve 21 into which an end of a rod 28 may be inserted, said rod being provided with an aga e guide 29.

I have shown herein a bait or lure including a spinner 3| and hooks 32, with the line 33 attached to the spinner-end of the lure and ex- .plug 34.

With the parts constructed and arranged as described, it is believed that the operation will be readily understood. Theplu'nger will be moved rearwardly by the lugs 5 to the safety position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and the line will be wound upon the reel to bring the bait or lure within'the outer or front end of the pistol. When it is de sired to use my device for casting, the lugs 5 willbe rotated out of thenotches i8 and the spring I will then move the rear head 5 into engagement with the latch 20''. I The operator then need only pull the trigger 20, thereby to disengage the latch 20 from the rear head 5, where-1 upon the spring will perform the casting operation, the front ends of the slots i9 limiting the ejecting movement of the plunger. It will be noted that considerable clearance is provided between the brake pad 26 and the adjacent edges' of the reel sides. This permits the casting'operation to be performed without danger of applying the brake until such time as the operator may desire to do so, whereupon, by exerting a considerable additional pull upon the trigger 20,

the brake pad can be applied to the reel and .the

desired braking actionobtained.

When it is desired to usemy device for ordinary casting purposes, the rod 28 will be inserted and secured within the cylinder 21 and the outer end of the line will be led through the agate guide 29- before being attached to the lure or bait 30. The

rod while the latter is being used for casting in the manner ordinarily practiced.

By the term "barreP as employed herein, I do not propose to limit my invention to the use of a guiding and supporting means for the plunger which must substantially surround the latter, since obviously the same function might be subserved by the employment of other forms of guiding and supporting means.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: I I

1. A device of thecharacter described comprising a grip, a barrel, means forrotatably supporting a reel between the said barrel and the said grip, areel rotatably mounted on the said supporting means and' means for rotating said reel to wind a line thereupon, a plunger within said barrel, a coiled spring interposed between the said plunger and the bottom of said barrel, 9.

2| and at its opposite end to a pin or bolt 2i trigger having a latch adapted to engage the said plunger when the latter is moved rearwardly to a predetermined position in said barrel, means pivotally supporting the said trigger, and a spring connected with said trigger and tending to hold the latch in a position to engage the plunger when the latter is in the rearwardly retracted position, the said plunger being provided with means for guiding a line wound upon said reel and attached to a bait or lure in front of saidplunger.

2. A device of the character described comprising a grip, a barrel, means for rotatably supporting a reel between said barrel and the said grip, a reel rotatably mounted on the said supporting means and means for rotating said reel to wind a line thereupon, a plunger within said barrel, a coiled spring interposed between the said plunger and the bottom of said barrel, a trigger having a latch adapted to engage the said plunger when, the latter is moved rearwardly to a predetermined position in said barrel, means pivotally supporting the said trigger, a spring connected with said trigger and tending to hold the latch in a position to engage the plunger when the latter is in the rearwardly retracted position, the said plunger being provided with means for guiding a line wound upon said reel and attached to a bait or lure in frontof said plunger, a brake for said reel, and meansoperative by themovement of said trigger for applying said brake to said reel by further movement of the trigger in a direction to release the latchthereof from the plunger and after said release.

for applying the brake to the reel comprising an arm extending rearwardly from the trigger and a braking element carried by said arm and adapted and arranged to be brought into engagement with a portion of said reel.

4. A device of the character described comprising a grip, a barrel, means for rotatably supporting a reel between the said barrel and the said grip, a reel rotatably mounted on the said supporting means and'means for rotating said reel to wind a line thereupon, a plunger within said barrel, acoiled spring interposed between the said plunger and the said reel, a trigger having a latch adapted to engage the said plunger when the latter is moved rearwardly to a prede-y termined position in said barrel, means pivotally supporting the said trigger, a springconnected with said trigger and tending to hold the latch in a position to engage the plunger when the latter is in the rearwardly retracted position, the said plunger being provided with means for guiding a line wound upon said reel and attached to a bait or lure, in front of said plunger, the said'barrel being provided 'with an abutment at the rear end thereof for engagement .by the said coiled spring, and a guide for the line carried by said abutment and registering with the guiding means of said plunger.

5. A device of the character described comprising a grip, a barrel, means for rotatably supporting a reel between the said barrel and the said grip, a reel rotatably mounted on the said supporting means and means for rotating said reel to wind a line thereupon, a plunger within said barrel, a coiled spring interposed between the said plunger and the bottom of said barrel, a trigger and means pivotally supporting the same, a latch adapted to engage the said plunger when the latter is moved rearwardly to a predetermined 3. In the device set forth in claim 2, the means the latch in a position to engage the plunger when the latter is in the rearwardly retracted position, the said plunger being provided with means for guiding a line wound upon said reel and attached to a-bait or lure in front of said plunger, and means interposed between the line guiding means and the said reel for imparting lateral movement alternately in opposite directions to the line while being wound upon and unwound from the said reel.

6. A device of the character described comprising a grip, a barrel, means for rotatably supporting a reel between the said barrel and the said grip, a reel rotatably mounted on the said supporting means and means for rotating said reel to wind a line thereupon, a plunger within said barrel, a coiled spring interposed between the said plunger and the said reel, a trigger pivotally supported below the said reel and having a forwardly projecting arm provided with a latch adapted to engage the plunger when the latter is moved to a predetermined position rearwardly I within the barrel and the said trigger also having a rearwardly projecting arm within the grip and having a braking element adapted to engage a portion of the reel, one of the said arms having a spring connected thereto tending to force the first mentioned arm upwardly and the second mentioned arm downwardly, the said plunger having a guide for a line wound upon said reel and attached to a bait or lure in front of said plunger.

'7. A device of the character described comprising a grip, a plunger guide and a reel support, a plunger in said guide having means for guiding a line wound upon said reel, a spring for moving said plunger forwardly along said guide, a latch for holding said plunger in the rear portionof said guide against the resistance of said spring, a reel onsaid support and means for rotating said reel to wind thereupon a line attached to a lure or bait and passing through the guiding means, a trigger, and means connecting said trigger and said latch whereby the latch may be disengaged from the plunger by movement of saidtrigger.

8. A device of the character described compriss grip, a plunger guide and a reel support,

a plunger in said guide having means for guiding the line wound upon said reel, ejector means for moving said plunger forwardly along said guide, a latch for holding the said plunger in the rear portion of said guide against the action of said ejector means, a reel on said support-and means for rotating said reel to wind thereupon a line attached to a lure or bait and passing through the guiding means, a trigger, and means connecting said trigger and said latch whereby the latch may be disengaged from the plunger by movement of said trigger.

9. In the device set forth in claim 8, the means for guiding the line comprising a tubular bore extending longitudinally through the said plunger.

10. A device of the character described comprising a grip, a barrel having an abutment at the rear end thereof, means for rotatably supsaid plunger and the said abutment, a trigger and means pivotally Sup orting the same, a latch adapted to engage the said plunger when the latter is moved rearwardly to a predetermined position in said barrel thereby to compress the spring and provide a space in front of the plunger for the reception of a bait or lure, means tending to hold the latch in a position to engage the plunger when the latter is in its rearwardly retracted position, the said plunger being provided with means for guiding a line attached to a bait or lure and wound upon the said reel, means connecting the trigger and the latch for moving the latter out of engagement with the plunger by a movement imparted to the trigger, and means interposed between the reel and the abutment for imparting lateral movement to the line alternately in opposite directions while being wound upon and unwound from said reel.

11. A device of the character described comprising a grip, a barrel, means for rotatably supporting a reel between the said barrel and the said grip, a reel rotatably mounted on the said supporting means and means for rotating said reel to wind a line thereupon, a plunger within said barrel, a coiled spring interposed between the said plunger and the bottom'of said barrel, a trigger and means pivotally supporting the same, a latch adapted to engage the said plunger when the latter is moved rearwardly to a predetermined position in said barrel thereby to compress the spring and provide a space in front of the plunger for the reception of a bait or lure, means tending to hold the latch in a position to engage the plunger when the latter is in its rear wardly retracted position, the said plunger being provided with means for guiding a line attached to a bait or lure and wound upon the said reel, and means connecting the trigger and the latch for moving the latter out of engagement with the plunger by a movement imparted to the trigger, the barrel being provided with a longitudinal slot having a notch extending laterally from the rear end thereof andthe plunger having 8. lug mounted in said slot and adapted to be moved into I said notch, the notch being arranged rearwardly 

